Down for the Count
by writeallnight
Summary: Casey thought he was fine after Voight's thugs roughed him up. He could not have been more wrong. Casey whump!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So…this is my first Chicago Fire vic! Yay! I've had this one in the works for awhile and since we've had so many lovely snow days up here in the northeast I was finally able to start polishing it enough to post it.

So this takes place during Season 1 "Hanging On". While I appreciate the fact that Matt actually went to the hospital (unlike some other occasions) it still wasn't enough for me. So, I…took some liberties. Enjoy!

PS: Not mine! I teach music for a living Dick Wolf so please don't come after me!

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><p>Matt Casey was not a small man. He'd been in his share of knock down, drag out fights over the years and more often than not he'd walked away the victor. In high school he'd been an all state wrestling champion and he spent countless hours at the gym every week.<p>

None of that mattered one bit when the first punch slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling into the alley next to the corner market. It took only a few seconds for the initial shock to wear off and reality to set in. He was being attacked.

He started swinging without even realizing it, managing to land a few punches of his own before one of his attacker's slammed his head into a trash can.

Spots danced before his eyes and the next thing he knew he was on the ground. Pain exploded across his side, the air leaving his lungs in a whoosh as booted feet kicked repeatedly at his ribs. He instinctively curled into a ball in an attempt to protect himself but the feet continued to find their mark for what seemed like a very long time.

And then suddenly they were gone. Casey blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. What the hell had just happened?

"Sir? Sir are you all right?"

The blood pounding painfully in Casey's ears was making it hard to focus.

"Hey, don't move all right? We called 911."

He could hear people moving around and talking. A crowd was starting to gather. He needed to get up.

Casey began to struggle into a sitting position. "Hey, hey, just take it easy," a man in his fifties put his hand on Casey's chest and tried to hold him still.

Casey ignored him and tried to find his wallet. It was still in his pocket. Not a mugging. Then why?

The thought formed slowly. Voight. Voight had done this. He was sending a message. Casey wasn't safe anywhere. Not even in his own neighborhood.

Casey let his head fall back against the pavement. His ribs were burning making it hard to breathe and his hip throbbed. At least the world had stopped spinning so fast.

The sound of sirens rent the air and Casey squeezed his eyes closed against the noise which made his head feel like it might split in two. He must have blacked out for a few minutes because the next thing he knew someone was calling his name. "Matt? Matt Casey?"

He opened his eyes slowly. "Rich?" he asked.

Rich and Sarah were paramedics out of eighty seven. They'd met a couple times at the picnic. Rich had a daughter in college and Sarah was engaged to a television anchor.

"What the hell happened to you?" Rich asked as he began to cut away Casey's shirt. "You look awful."

Casey groaned as the paramedic's hands found his ribs. "Hey, that's a little tender huh?" Rich asked.

"Yeah, just a little," Casey managed.

"Casey can you tell me what day it is?" Sarah asked.

Of course he could tell her the day. It was Wednesday right? Or maybe Tuesday? When had he been at work? "I…I don't…"

"Okay, it's all right Casey. We're going to get you all patched up. Just try to relax," Sarah told him. "Rich I don't like the looks of that bruise. Could be broken ribs or internal bleeding."

"Let's get him out of here."

"The police want to talk to you for a minute. You feel up to it?" Rich asked after they had him on a gurney.

"Sure."

The officer who approached was a stranger to Casey. "Sir, can you tell me what happened?"

"I was attacked by two men. They pushed me into the alley."

"Did they say anything? Tell you why they were attacking you?"

Casey seethed in silence for a moment. "I want to talk to Antonio Dawson out of Vice. He can meet me Lakeshore. I'll tell him everything."

"Sir, I'd rather you just-"

"Officer, this is _Lieutenant_ Matt Casey of the CFD," Sarah piped up, making sure to emphasize his rank.

The officer thought for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "I'll give him a call. You feel better Lieutenant."

Within minutes they were racing toward Lakeshore. Every bump the ambulance went over jarred Casey's body painfully. He gritted his teeth as they hit a particularly large pothole. "Hang on, Lieutenant. We're almost there," Sarah assured him as she adjusted the IV in his arm.

The pulled into Lakeshore and Rich opened the back doors allowing Sarah room to jump out and remove the gurney with Casey on board.

"Thirty three year old male. Possible internal bleeding and head trauma," Rich told the approaching doctor as they went through the automatic doors.

Casey didn't recognize him, unusual considering how much time he'd spent at Lakeshore over the years. "I'm Dr. Gutierez. What's your name?" the man asked.

"Matt," the Lieutenant said.

"You want to tell me what happened Matt? Bar fight?"

"Something like that."

"Matt?"

The new voice was a mixture of surprise and confusion and so familiar he thought he might cry. Matt shut his eyes and let his head fall back against the hospital bed as Hallie hurried over. "Baby what happened?" she asked worriedly, her eyes searching him for injuries.

"He was brought in for possible internal injuries and head trauma," Dr. Gutierez explained.

Hallie took a deep breath. "Okay, I got this Carl, thanks," she told her colleague.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she waved him off. "Matt what's going on?"

"Some of Voight's thugs." Casey winced as he shifted on the bed. "Antonio Dawson should be here any minute. I need to talk to him."

"You know what that can wait," Hallie was examining the large bruise that was spreading across his side. "What hurts?"

"Hallie-"

"Casey, answer the question," her voice was all business.

He wasn't going to win this one. "My ribs, my hip."

"You hit your head?" Hallie's fingers brushed over his swollen cheek.

"Against a metal dumpster."

Hallie pressed firmly against his rib cage and his agonized cry was almost enough to undo her composure. Casey gripped the sheets and gasped for air as the pain subsided.

"Okay, he's going to need a CT scan and x-ray's," she told the nurse at her side. "Let's get him admitted and up to a room." She gripped Casey's hand tightly. "You're going to be okay Baby."

In the hour that followed Hallie didn't leave his side for more than a few minutes. Every movement was excruciating and after the final transfer from a wheelchair to a hospital bed Casey thought he might pass out. "Hey," Hallie put a hand on his cheek, "take a breath. I'm right here."

Casey couldn't speak, so great was the pain. Every breath was like a knife into his side. It was only made worse by the anger that had been steadily growing inside of him. He was going to kill Voight.

"Here," Hallie handed him an ice-pack. "We'll get you some pain meds as soon as your CT scan comes back. Can't take any chances with a possible head injury."

"It's fine," Casey replied.

It wasn't. He couldn't remember time when he'd felt so awful.

"Boden's on his way," she told him. "I figured he needed to know, especially if you have to take any time off."

"I'm not going to take any time off," Casey protested.

"You'll take time off if I say you will." Hallie narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a look that brooked no nonsense.

"Casey!" Antonio Dawson appeared in the doorway. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" Casey asked angrily.

He knew he was directing his anger at the wrong people but he was so tired and in so much pain he didn't care. "It was two of Voight's thugs. They shoved me into an alley."

"Did they say anything? How do you know they were Voight's?" Antonio asked.

"Who else could they be?" Casey asked angrily. "They didn't take my wallet, they didn't ask me for anything. They just beat the crap out of me and left."

"I'm going to go check on your x-ray results," Hallie told him softly before slipping out of the room.

Antonio rubbed a hand across his face. "You've stepped in some bad shit my friend."

"Then help me get out of it," Casey told him.

"What can you tell me about these guys?"

Casey closed his eyes and tried to picture the fight. "They both had boots on. Bandanas over their faces. One wore a green vest."

"That's good. That's a good start," Antonio pulled out a notebook and started writing down the details. "You sure they didn't say anything to you?"

"No. They just started swinging. I might have gotten a few hits in. Things are a little hazy," Casey told him.

"Yeah I'll bet. I won't take much longer," Antonio looked directly into his eyes. "We'll get Voight, Casey. I promise."

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><p>AN: So? What'd ya think? Please leave your opinions in the reviews! Also, does anyone else miss Hallie? I really liked the Casey/Hallie pairing. So thanks for that Dick Wolf. Oh well! More to come soon!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey folks! Thanks to all those lovely people who have reviewed so far! It is much appreciated! Sorry this chapter took so long! It's musical season here in the north east and I'm currently helping direct two so not a whole lot of free time right now! Enjoy!

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><p>Casey lay as still as he could in his hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, turning the events of the day over and over in his mind. Despite his lack of concussion the hospital had insisted on keeping him for observation. Or, rather, Hallie had insisted on keeping him for observation despite the fact that every test they had run had come back negative, even the ones that had been completely unnecessary.<p>

He'd had hours to go over every detail of his attack from beginning to end and no matter how much he thought about it nothing significant came back to him. He couldn't remember their faces. He couldn't remember their voices. He could barely even remember what they'd been wearing. It had all just happened so fast. Maybe if he…

"Hey."

Casey was startled from his thoughts by a knock on his door. He instinctively turned to look and immediately regretted it. The x-rays had proven his ribs weren't broken but when he moved it certainly felt like they were. He winced and turned more slowly to see Severide poking his head in. "Hey," he stepped inside, "Boden told me what happened. You look like hell man."

Casey grimaced as he tried to sit up a little straighter. "Hey take it easy," Kelly moved to help him. "Damn. They really worked you over huh?"

"Yeah," was all Casey could manage.

Kelly sat in a chair near the bed and tossed the white paper bag he'd brought with him onto Casey's lap. "Brought you some real food. Thought you might need it."

"Thanks," Casey replied.

"You talk to Antonio?"

"Yeah."

Kelly rolled his eyes and sat forward. "Come on Casey. Talk to me. You're pissed. I can see it."

Casey clenched his jaw. "Fine. Yeah, I'm pissed. I don't know what to do here. He's untouchable. We can't get near him. He's a god in that police department. And if he can do this to me how am I supposed to keep Hallie safe?"

Kelly shook his head. "I don't know. I'd tell you to just let Antonio handle it, but I honestly don't know if that's the right answer."

They sat quietly for a moment. "You want me to knock some heads together for you?" Kelly finally offered.

Casey sighed. "No. I don't even know who to tell you to hit. Didn't even get a good enough look at the guys to give Antonio a description."

"Is that what you're pissed about? That you don't know what these guys look like? Casey, they were pounding your ass into the sidewalk. No one can blame you for that. Besides, chances are somebody else saw them. Broad daylight like that? They'll catch them."

"Yeah, that's what I keep hearing. 'Don't worry. We'll take care of it. Let the police do their job.' Well guess what? That's what I've been doing and look where it's gotten me!"

"Yeah, I know. I wish I could tell you something different," Kelly said. "But you know I'll back your play. Whatever you decide." He stood. "Look, I have to go. You gonna be all right if I leave you here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"You're not going to do something stupid like try and leave or anything right?"

"I will not leave the hospital," Casey said between gritted teeth.

"Okay, just checking," Kelly held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Stay strong man. I'll see you later."

Casey woke from a nightmare several hours later his eyes swinging wildly around the room, searching for the person who'd been attacking Hallie in his dreams. It took several seconds to shake off the haunting images and get his heart rate back to normal. He took a breath and grimaced as he shifted on the bed trying to find a position that didn't make his ribs throb.

"Hey, you're up." Hallie appeared in the doorway and came to sit on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right," his voice was little more than a croak and he swallowed hard.

She put a hand on his cheek her eyes full of concern. "You're pale and sweaty. Tell me the truth Matt."

He was not going to share the contents of his nightmare with her. "Just a dream. I feel fine."

Her eyes told him she wasn't buying it but she let it go for the moment and for that he was grateful. "Come here."

She moved slowly, trying not to hurt him as she settled against his chest. "We'll get through this," she told him. "You know that right?"

He pulled her closer, ignoring the pain. He needed her in his arms. He needed to know that for this moment at least, she was all right. "I know."

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><p>AN: So, true confessions time. I sometimes forget that Casey's first name is Matt. Probably because they call him Casey so much on the show. I wrote this chapter and realized that I spent the whole thing referring to him as Casey and Kelly Severide as Kelly. Because honestly, Severide is too long. Thoughts on this subject? Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Chapter three is here! You've been such a great audience so far! Thanks so much to all of you who continue to review!

So I know you've all been waiting patiently for the "good stuff" aka the Casey whumpage and while this chapter is not full on beating up Casey we are definitely getting there! Enjoy!

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><p>"Are you sure you don't want to take a few days off?" Hallie asked as she pulled on her shirt.<p>

Casey sighed. "Yes, I'm sure," he put his hands on her shoulders. "I feel great. I promise."

"You're still limping," Hallie pointed out. "And you haven't been sleeping well. I don't know how I feel leaving you on your own."

"Babe, you've been looking forward to this weekend with the girls for months. Go. I'll be fine."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay. I'll call you in a couple hours." She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too. Hey." He caught her hand as she turned to go. "Remember what we talked about. You call me if anything happens. Anything at all."

She nodded and then headed out the door for her weekend away, leaving Casey alone for the first time since the Voight incident. He sank onto their bed, his breath catching as pain shot through his side. Hallie had been right; he felt like crap, but there was no was he was going to tell her that. Getting her out of town meant she was safe and he wouldn't have to worry about her while on shift. It gave him a few days to figure out his next step.

Lightheadedness assailed him, a sensation he'd been trying to keep at bay since the attack. It was making it hard to keep his eyes open despite the ache in his hip and the stabbing pain in his side. He looked at the clock. Two hours until he had to be at the station. He'd just close his eyes for a few minutes and then get ready to go.

Casey's phone woke him two hours later. He squinted against the light as a dull headache throbbed in his temples. "Hello?" his voice was a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello?"

"Hey Baby," Hallie spoke on the other end of the line. "Are you at work?"

Casey glanced at the clock and fought the urge to swear. "Yeah, I'm almost there." He stood and the pain in his side almost took his breath away.

"Okay, well I just wanted to check in. We should be to the hotel in about

fifteen minutes. You sure you're doing okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Listen I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, love you!"

"Yep, love you too."

Casey hung up and this time swore in earnest as he grabbed his work bag. He was going to be late.

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><p>Three ibuprofen and a cup of coffee had him feeling somewhat better by the time he got to the station. A glance at the cars on the street told him the rest of the crew had already arrived and so had Antonio Dawson. Casey closed his eyes briefly. It was going to be a long shift.<p>

"How are you feeling?" Antonio asked after they'd been looking at tattoos for awhile.

"Better," Casey told him. "No permanent damage."

"How's Hallie?"

"Nervous. She's worried I'm going to go after Voight myself."

Antonio looked at him. "You're not right? Because let me tell you Casey, if you do, I cannot help you. You won't be able to come back from it."

"Relax," Casey held up a hand. "I'm not going after him."

"Good. It's just gonna take a little time. Voight's got his finger in a lot of pots but it's going to be hard to prove it. We need more to go on than word of mouth."

"Well then let's get it," Casey turned back to the books of tattoos in front of him and began turning the pages for what seemed like the hundredth time.

It was a slow start to the shift, something for which he was grateful. The pain in his side had returned with a vengeance about an hour after he got to the station and looking through the books was making his vision blurry. He sighed in frustration.

"Nothing?" Antonio asked.

"I don't recognize any of these," Casey gripped the edge of the table. "Damn it!"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Give it some more time. It may come back to you," Antonio put a hand on Casey's shoulder. "I need to get going anyway. Call me if you think of anything."

Casey stalked off to his office and laid down on his bed with a groan. Those photos had been their best shot at getting Voight and he had blown it. All because he couldn't remember what some gang banger's tattoo looked like.

He had just closed his eyes when the tones rang out. It was with huge effort that he dragged himself off the bed and down the hall. "Almost left without you Lieutenant," Otis said when he finally climbed aboard the rig.

Casey's glare silenced the younger man and the rest of the ride was spent in stony quiet.

The call was for a structure fire in a downtown apartment building. A multiple alarm fire, it had already taken hold of the building when they arrived. Casey moved with as much speed as his aching body would allow. "Hermann, Cruz grab the hoses. Mouch, Mills, Otis, with me!"

"Casey! We'll start at the top!" Kelly called.

Casey nodded and took his crew into the building.

The fire was hot, intense, the smoke dark. "Fire department! Call out!" Casey yelled into the darkness.

There was a groan to their left. "Hey buddy!" Mills shouted at the large man leaning against the wall. "You've got to get out of here!"

"No! I can't go. My things." The man coughed violently.

"You gotta go buddy," Casey moved toward him. "Come on."

"No!" the man yelled and lurched forward. He launched himself at Casey who suddenly found himself lying on the floor completely breathless as the man's full weight landed on his abdomen.

"Hey!" Hermann and Mills both grabbed hold of the man's arms and tried to pull him off of their leader. "Chill out buddy! We're here to help!" Mills yelled.

"You all right Casey?" Mouch asked holding out a hand to help him up.

Casey tried to catch his breath as pain ripped through his side. "Get him out of here!" he wheezed as he struggled to his feet. "Go!"

Mills and Herrmann began pushing the struggling man toward the door. "That guy was feisty," Mouch commented.

"No kidding," Casey put a hand to his ribs and tried to ignore the pain. "This way!" he motioned toward the stairs. "First floor is clear. Moving to the second," he radioed.

"Seven and six are clear. On our way to five," Kelly's voice answered.

Casey and Mouch started up the stairs. "Wait, where's Mills?" Casey asked. The kid could not be disappearing like this in the middle of a fire!

"You sent him out!" Mouch called. "Remember?"

"Oh," Casey blinked trying to get a grip on his thoughts. Had he done that? "Right. Yeah."

"Casey?" Mouch put a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

Casey's breathing was loud in his own ears. Sweat stung his eyes and his vision swam. "Casey!"

Mouch's voice snapped him back to reality. Casey swallowed hard. "Let's go!"

They met up with Kelly and Capp on the fourth floor. "All clear," Kelly yelled when he saw them.

"Let's get out of here. The stairs are gonna go any second!" Mouch replied.

The four started down to ground level, Casey bringing up the rear. They reached the first floor just in time. There was a loud crash and they looked up to see part of the staircase come down onto the second floor.

"That was closer than I like," Capp remarked.

"Tell me about it," Mouch agreed as they headed for the door.

They were nearly to it when Severide realized Casey wasn't behind him. He turned around to see his friend moving back into the building. "Casey!" he grabbed the Lieutenant's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"We have to clear the floor. Stick with me Andy."

Kelly stared at him. "Casey. It's me. Kelly."

"Right, right, yeah," Casey looked dazed. He glanced again toward the fire. "Are we clear?"

"Yeah, it's all clear. Let's get out of here," Kelly pushed Casey in front of him and they headed once again for the door.

They made it outside this time and Kelly stripped off his helmet and mask as Casey did the same, gulping in lungfuls of clean air. "What the hell was that?" Kelly asked.

"Nothing. It just slipped out."

"Nothing? You expect me to believe that you calling me Andy and going back into a burning building was nothing?" Kelly asked. "What is going on Matt?"

"Kelly!" Capp beckoned him over to the rig.

Kelly pointed a finger at Casey. "This discussion is not over."

Casey sighed and sank down onto the back of the truck, putting his head in his hands, trying to push away the fatigue and confusion that had entered his mind. "Casey?" Herrmann had wandered over. "You all right? That guy was something else."

Casey forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's get this cleaned up."

"You know what. We got this," Herrmann said casually. "Why don't you take a breather?"

Casey knew what the older man was saying but refused to take the hint. "I'm fine. We've got work to do."

By the time they arrived back at the firehouse Casey's brain felt like mush. He was tired and his side burned and just wanted to go lie down. Instead Kelly cornered him in the bay. "Hey! What's going on with you?"

"I'm fine. Just got a little confused in all the smoke."

"Casey-"

Casey held up his hands. "Look, I really don't need a lecture right now. I got confused. It happens. Let it go Severide."

He pushed past his friend and headed for the solitude of his office leaving Kelly standing alone in the bay.

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><p>Kelly stared after his friend trying to figure out what had just happened. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He headed toward the dorm. He needed a second opinion.<p>

Kelly caught his roommate in the hallway. "Shay!" he jogged toward her.

"Hey, you'll never believe-" she started eagerly and then caught the look in his eyes. "What's up?"

"Something's not right with Casey."

"Not right how? He did get his ass handed to him the other day. I'm sure he's moving a little slower than usual," she assured him.

"Shay, at that fire, he called me Andy."

A look of shock crossed Shay's face. "What?"

"Shay!" Dawson's cry came from the bay and was laced with fear. Shay and Kelly's eyes met and they both took off at a run. Casey was in trouble.

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><p>AN: So….thoughts? Questions? Comments? I'll take any and all!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Cue the epic music! The whump has arrived! I know you've all been patiently waiting for the good stuff so here it is!

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><p>Dawson was checking supplies in the back of the ambulance when Casey walked by. "Hey!" she called.<p>

When Casey didn't answer she frowned and hopped out to follow him. "Hey, Casey!"

Casey began opening and closing compartments on the engine with no apparent pattern. "Hello? Anybody home?" she tried again. "Whatcha doing?"

"Hey!" he said brightly. "Are you hungry? I'm starving."

Dawson gave him a confused smile. "Um, I'm good thanks." He continued to open and close compartments, looking in each one for only a few seconds before moving on. "Casey, if you're hungry maybe you should try the kitchen."

He paused and then frowned. "Oh. Yeah, right. I uh-"

Casey looked past her, clearly confused, running a hand through his hair. Dawson took a step closer to him. "Hey, you all right?" she was still smiling but it was quickly becoming the smile she typically reserved for patients; the one that was meant to keep people calm while she assessed their situation.

"Yeah, I'm…" his voice trailed off and his eyes continued to roam the bay.

"Matt?" Concern filled her eyes.

His knees buckled.

"Whoa!" Dawson moved to catch him. "Matt! Matt!"

"I don't…" Casey's eyes had a dazed look.

"Okay, why don't you sit down, all right? Sit right here." She helped him to the back of the ambulance and then turned her head in the direction of the hallway. "Shay!" she yelled, her voice cracking in fear.

"Gabby," Casey's voice had her turning back. "I don't feel right."

"I know. Can you tell me what's wrong? How long have you been feeling like this?" Gabby was reaching past him, grabbing at instruments, her heart pounding in fear.

"I don't know," Casey's breathing was growing labored and his face shone with sweat.

Shay and Kelly came running toward them. "What's wrong?" Shay asked.

"I don't know. He was acting all weird and then he started to collapse," Dawson reported as she shoved a stethoscope into her ears.

"He wasn't right at that fire either," Kelly added.

"Kelly, go get Boden," Shay ordered. "Hey Casey, can you tell me what's wrong?" she asked as she snapped on the pair of gloves Gabby handed her.

"His blood pressure's in the toilet," Dawson shook her head.

Casey let out a strangled grunt and slumped over. "Matt! What's wrong?"

"My, side," he gasped. "It hurts."

"Okay, easy, easy," Shay said gently. "Let's get him on the floor."

Casey's face was turning a sickly shade of gray urging them to work even faster. They removed his shirt both wincing at the sight of the massive bruise on his side. "Stay with me all right Casey?" Shay ordered. "Talk to me. Do you know what day it is?"

"It's, uh, um, I-" Casey's words were coming out slowly, it was clear he was struggling.

Boden strode in followed by Kelly and Mills. "What's the situation?" he asked gruffly.

"He's bad chief," Dawson said as she began inserting an IV. "The confusion, the pain, I think he might be bleeding internally but I don't know why."

"He got hit," Mills said breathlessly. "At the fire. That big guy knocked him over."

Shay and Gabby's eyes met. "If that exacerbated an injury from the other day…" Shay didn't finish.

"We'll call it in," Boden told them. "Get him out of here."

"Guys help us get him up," Shay asked.

Kelly and Mills got on either side of the injured man as Gabby pulled down the gurney. "On my count," she told them. "One, two, three."

Casey moaned in pain as they lifted him onto the gurney. "Come on Casey," Mills said breathlessly. "Hold on."

They loaded him into the back of the ambulance and Gabby climbed in after him. "Chief?" Kelly looked at him imploringly.

Boden nodded. "Go."

Kelly climbed aboard and Boden slammed the doors, sending them, sirens screaming, into the street. "Matt I want you to keep talking okay? Don't go to sleep," Gabby said urgently. "Try to count for me. One to a hundred."

"Okay," he mumbled. "One, two, three…"

"How bad is it?" Kelly asked.

Gabby's face told him everything. "If he's been bleeding for long enough…" she didn't finish because Casey had stopped counting. "Matt!" She shook him. "He's unconscious. Damn it!" She leaned toward the front of the ambulance. "Step on it Shay!"

They raced into Lakeshore, Kelly flinging open the doors before they'd even come to a complete stop. He helped Gabby pull the gurney from the back of the ambulance and they ran inside. Dr. Gutierez met them. "Chief Boden called. Fill me in."

"He's been confused and lethargic for the last two hours and he's also been complaining of pain in his side. One of our guys said he took a hit today," Gabby explained breathlessly.

"You did good ladies. We'll take it from here," the doctor told them and with that Casey was gone leaving the three of them standing by the nurse's station.

Gabby ran a hand through her hair. "I can't believe this."

"It's my fault," Kelly said. "He was so spacey at that fire; going back in after we'd already cleared the building. I should have known."

"Hey, this one's not on you," Shay put a hand on his shoulder. "None of us caught it. Come on. Let's go sit down."

They didn't have long to wait. Dr. Gutierez returned within half an hour, his face grim. "I don't have a lot of time. We're taking him up to surgery. You girls were right, his spleen has been slowly bleeding into his abdomen. The tear was so small initially that we didn't catch it."

"Can you fix it?" Gabby asked, a preferable outcome to removing it entirely.

"We won't know until we get in there. I have to go, do any of you have contact information for Hallie?"

"Yeah, we'll take care of it," Shay assured him.

He nodded and took his leave. "What does all that mean?" Kelly asked. "How bad is it?"

"Depending on how large the tear is they'll either be able to fix it or they'll have to remove the spleen entirely. A fix would mean a quicker recovery for Casey. But as long as they get him into surgery fast he should be okay," Shay explained.

"Is there a chance we're too late?"

It was Gabby who finally answered. "If he's lost too much blood then his organs will have started shutting down. We have to hope we got him here in time."

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><p>AN: So? Are your whump needs satisfied? Leave a review and let me know!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey folks! Another chapter up for you! Feeling very inspired after this week's FANTASTIC crossover episodes! I've gotta say, I'm shipping this Erin/Kelly thing hardcore. Enjoy!

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><p>The clock moved at an agonizingly slow pace. Kelly, Shay, and Dawson all sat silently in the waiting room save for when Boden called. "What's the word?" Boden asked.<p>

Kelly sighed. "Nothing yet. They took him into surgery. They were pretty fast but no guarantees."

"You'll keep us posted?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Our thoughts are with you."

"Thanks Chief."

Kelly hung up and Dawson stood. "I can't take this. I'm going to find out what's going on."

She didn't get the chance to go because Hallie came flying through the hospital doors. "Hallie!" Kelly stood.

"Kelly," the brunette had tears in her eyes. "What happened? How is he?"

"We don't know yet. They haven't told us anything since they took him into surgery," he told her.

"Oh my god," she sank down onto a plastic chair. "That was hours ago. They're taking too long."

"You don't know that," Shay told her, putting a hand on the distraught woman's back. "Anything could be happening."

"Hey folks," Dr. Gutierrez walked toward them. "Hallie, I'm glad you made it safely."

They were all on their feet by the time he reached them. "Mark," Hallie's voice was pleading. "How is he?"

"He's out of surgery," the doctor told them. "Let me tell you it was a tough fight. He'd lost a lot of blood and we had to remove his spleen entirely. He coded on the table."

Hallie gasped and her hands went to her mouth. "We got him back very quickly though. Right now we have him intubated. He's not out of the woods yet but I'm hopeful that he'll make a full recovery."

Hallie was nodding. "Okay, okay. Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded. "I'll take you up."

"We need to report back to the house," Shay said. "Thanks Doc."

"Hey, you two did great. If you hadn't gotten him here so soon we might have lost him," the doctor complimented them.

They watched Hallie and the doctor walk away. "Come on," Shay finally said. "The guys will be wondering."

The two women started moving toward the door when Gabby realized Kelly wasn't with them. "Severide? You coming?"

He was standing, staring after Hallie, his hands fisted at his sides. "Yeah," he finally said.

As soon as the shift was over Kelly tore out the door of the station like it was on fire. "Kelly! Hey, wait!" Shay ran after him. "Where are you going?"

"I've got some business to take care of," Kelly told her tersely.

"Whoa, hold on," she put a hand on his arm. "I know that look. What's going on?"

"Somebody needs to pay for what happened today. And if I have to be the one to make sure it happens I will."

"Kelly!" Shay stood helplessly as he pulled away from her and slammed his car door closed, tires squealing as he peeled out of the parking lot. "Don't do anything stupid," she muttered.

Kelly pulled up to the police station not even bothering to park in a real spot. He stormed in the front door stopping at the front desk. "I need to see Detective Voight."

The gray haired officer barely spared him a glance. "Detective Voight is busy right now."

"Look lady, I'm Chicago FD. I need to see Voight. Right. Now." Kelly's voice was laced with steel.

She finally looked up from her computer. "Third floor."

Kelly left without another word and climbed the stairs to Voight's office. The man was speaking with another officer but Kelly didn't care. "Voight!"

It caught the detective's attention. "Lieutenant. I'm a little busy right now if you'd like to wait-"

"You son of a bitch," Kelly spat the words at him. "You sent those thugs after Casey, after my friend, and you have the nerve to tell me to wait?"

"Lieutenant, I'm afraid I don't have a clue what you're talking about," Voight offered him a smile.

Kelly felt something snap. He shoved Voight up against the wall. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. Casey is lying in the hospital half dead because of you. You listen to me and you listen good. If he dies, I will personally make sure that every person in the city of Chicago knows it was your fault. And I will be there watching when they fry your ass in the chair."

Kelly let him go and turned away. "Sir?" another officer called out tentatively.

"Let him go," Voight said, massaging his throat. "You better watch yourself Lieutenant! I'd hate to see you getting yourself in any kind of trouble!"

Kelly turned around, arms spread as he backed toward the stairs. "Bring it on Voight! I'll be at Station 51 anytime you'd like to stop by!"

Kelly left the station and drove straight to the hospital and making his way to Casey's room. Hallie was sitting by Casey's bed holding his hand. "Hey," Kelly knocked quietly on the door.

Hallie turned. "Hey," she stood and hugged him. "You didn't have to come back."

"How's he doing?" Kelly asked.

"Um, he's okay," Hallie told him. "His vitals are good but he still hasn't woken up yet. He lost so much blood…"

"Hey, he's gonna be okay," Kelly assured her. "He's Matt Casey. He'll be all right."

"Yeah," she smiled but he could see her heart wasn't in it.

"Why don't you go grab a cup of coffee," he told her. "I'll sit with him until you get back."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go on. If anything changes I'll call you."

"Okay. Thanks Kelly."

Kelly watched her go and then sank into their chair by his friend's bedside watching the man's chest rise and fall. "Don't you go making a liar out of me Matt Casey."

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><p>AN: So? Thoughts? I promise more Casey whump in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I am so sorry. I am a bad, awful, terrible person who left you all hanging for months. I have no excuse so I'll just apologize again. Here is the chapter you've been waiting for. Thanks again to all who have reviewed; you're the best!

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><p>Casey's alarm clock was beeping insistently. He needed to turn it off. He'd just sleep five more minutes and then get up for work. He tried to move his arms and found them strangely leaden. In fact, his whole body felt stiff and sore. What was going on?<p>

It seemed to take a lot of effort to open his eyes and when he did the light was blindingly bright. He blinked several times trying to get his bearings and found himself staring up at the ceiling. He attempted to take in a deep breath and found himself choking. His heart began to pound and the beeping he'd mistaken for an alarm clock sped up with it.

"Matt!" Hallie's face appeared above him. "He's fighting the tube. It's okay Baby. We're taking it out. This is going to be uncomfortable. Try to relax."

It felt like someone was ripping out his throat as the tube left his airway. He coughed hard and then gasped and arched his back as pain ripped through his side. He swallowed several times which did nothing to help either problem. Hallie appeared with a cup. "Drink," she ordered as she held the straw to his lips.

He did so and felt immediate relief on his raw throat. "Hallie," his voice was hoarse and he reached up to touch her face.

"Hey Baby," she had tears in her eyes and she leaned in to kiss him hard. "I missed you."

"What," he swallowed, wincing against the pain, "what happened?"

"You collapsed at the station. There was a tear in your spleen. You were bleeding out so they had to remove it. You lost a lot of blood," she wiped a tear from her cheek. "We were really worried."

"Sorry," was all he could manage. His brain felt foggy.

"It's okay. We've given you some extra morphine for the pain so you're going to feel sleepy. I'll be here when you wake up."

Casey let his eyes close and drifted away in a haze of pain medication.

He woke several hours later feeling more alert than the previous time. "Hey stranger."

He turned his head to see Kelly lounging in the chair by his bedside. "Hey," his voice was a croak, better than the whisper he'd managed earlier. Kelly reached for a cup on the nighstand. "Here. Hallie said you need to drink." He helped Casey take a few sips. "How ya feeling?"

"I've been worse," Casey said, wincing as he shifted in the bed, trying to get more comfortable.

Kelly raised his eyebrows. "Liar."

"Don't tell Hallie."

"No can do pal. Last time I kept quiet you nearly bled out in front of me. So if you tell me you have a hang nail it's going back to the doctors," Kelly said matter of factly.

"Fantastic," Casey groaned. "What did I miss?"

"Hermann wants to have karaoke night at the bar. Otis says yes, Dawson says no. She wants tapas night instead. Cruz has a new girl. Mouch shaved his mustache. Shay says he looks ridiculous and to grow it back. Just the usual."

"Shay's right, he should grow it back," Casey replied and then inhaled sharply as pain coursed through his side.

"Hey, take it easy," concern filled Kelly's eyes.

"How are you feeling Mr. Casey?" a nurse came in and reached for his chart.

"Yeah, he's in a lot of pain right now," Kelly told her.

"Well it looks like it's time for some more morphine so we'll just go ahead-"

"No!" Casey gritted his teeth but his answer was firm.

"Casey don't be an idiot," Kelly told him.

"No, I don't want it," Casey said again. "I want to stay awake."

"You _need_ to sleep right now," the nurse insisted. "You've lost a lot of blood and your body needs time to heal. Sleep is the best way to do it."

"No." Casey glared at her.

The nurse raised her eyebrows at the other Lieutenant. "He's a stubborn one huh?" She looked back at Casey. "Suit yourself. You know where to find me if you change your mind."

She left the room. "You better enjoy your awake time while you can because you know as soon as Hallie gets back she's going to stick that morphine in you whether you like it or not."

"I know," Casey grunted, fighting the pain in his side. "Talk about something."

"Like what?"

"Severide!" Casey's voice took on a hint of desperation. "Talk about anything!"

"Okay, okay! Uh…remember the first time we let Cruz drive the truck? And he backed into that police car?"

Severide continued to come up with stories for another fifteen minutes while Casey suffered in the bed next to him. "Dude are you sure you don't want any more morphine? There's no reason for you to be feeling this way."

"I don't," Casey grunted out.

Hallie chose that moment to return. "Hey guys. What's-" she took one look at Casey and turned for the hallway. "Nurse!"

"He won't take anymore morphine," Kelly explained as Hallie went to Casey's side.

"I don't want it," Casey was shaking with pain.

"Matt, you need the morphine. You've had major emergency surgery which means they weren't worried about being neat. Your body has suffered significant trauma," she reached up and put a hand on his forehead. "You have a fever."

The nurse arrived and Hallie began firing instructions about medications as she slipped an oxygen mask over Casey's face. "Is he all right?" Kelly asked.

"He's fine. It's not unusual to spike a fever after this kind of surgery. We just need to make sure there's no infection," Hallie explained as she inserted a needle into Casey's IV. "And the only way he's going to get better is to take his medicine and let his body rest."

"I don't want it," Casey mumbled as the medication flooded his veins creating nearly instant relief.

"Shut up and go to sleep," she kissed his forehead and caressed his face. "My big, dumb, brave fireman."

"I can still hear you," he told her.

He drifted off a few seconds later. Hallie sank down onto the bed gripping his hand. "He's so stubborn," she tried a laugh but it was marred by the concern in her eyes.

"It's what makes him such a good firefighter," Kelly told her. "He doesn't go down without a fight. Hey." She looked up at him. "He's not going down this time either."

"I know. I know. It's just, when someone you love ends up in the hospital twice in one week you tend to worry you know?" she asked. "The doctor part of me knows he's got a long road ahead but he should recover. The girlfriend part of me is having a hard time believing it." She looked into his eyes. "Thanks for being here Kelly. I really appreciate it."

"Hey, no problem. There's no place I'd rather be."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: The final chapter! Thanks to all those who reviewed the last one. I know some of you had suggestions for how the story should end but I'd already written this chapter so it is what it is! Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

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><p>Casey woke the next day more alert and in considerably less pain. This meant, of course, that he felt it was time to go home which Hallie answered with a resounding: "No. Absolutely not Matt. You can keep begging and threatening and bribing the nurses all you want but none of them are going to discharge you. End of story," she kissed him. "Now, I have to go to work. You have magazines. You have books. You have the TV remote. Be good and I'll see you later."<p>

"Define good!" he called after her.

She simply waved at him over her shoulder and disappeared down the hall. Casey sighed. He was already bored.

The books lasted fifteen minutes and then he flipped through the television for another ten until he wanted to scream in frustration. He put the remote down on the bed and then looked out into the hallway. From where he was sitting he couldn't see anyone. Ever so slowly he pulled back his blanket and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Gripping his IV pole tightly he pulled himself to his feet grimacing in pain. His side hurt like all get out but at least he was standing.

He sucked in a slow breath and then tentatively took a step. So far so good. He attempted another. The room stayed still. He was sweating but nearly to the door when a nurse walked by. He froze and waited for her to pass. Without even looking up from the file in her hand she called over her shoulder, "Get back in bed Lieutenant Casey."

Casey swore and shuffled back toward his bed. Someone wolf whistled behind him and he turned to see Shay and Dawson in his doorway. "How's it going Grandpa?" Dawson asked with a grin.

"Haha very funny," he said as he lowered himself back onto the bed with a grimace. "I guess I owe you two a thank you."

"We accept all major credit cards as well as cash," Shay told him. "Ooh jello!" She swiped it off his tray and stretched out in the chair next to his bed.

Casey rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to eat that anyway."

"Seriously, how are you doing?" Dawson asked as Casey adjusted himself against the pillows.

"Could be worse. I'm going to have a pretty fantastic scar," he told her.

"You were bleeding out. They didn't really have a choice," Dawson pointed out.

Shay watched her friends as she chewed slowly. "I'm uh, I'm going to go check on that case we brought in this morning," she said as she stood. "You know the girl with the…thing."

"Oh, yeah, right. I'll be down in a minute," Dawson told her. "So when are you busting out of here?" she asked.

Casey sighed. "Soon as Hallie lets me out. I'm going crazy in this bed."

"Yeah I'll bet," Dawson twisted her hands uncomfortably.

Casey frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm uh, I'm just," she sighed. "I was really scared for you Casey. I've never been that scared in my life."

"Hey," he reached out and took her hand. "I'm going to be fine. And that's all thanks to you. You guys saved my life."

"Yeah, well, let's not make it a regular thing okay?" Dawson tried for a smile.

"Hey Gabby," Hallie walked into the room. "Is he behaving?"

"As much as he ever does," Gabby told her. She stood. "I've got to run. Keep us posted okay? Get some rest."

"I'll try," Casey promised.

"Okay. See ya," she gave a little wave and exited to the hall.

"Hey! Gabby!" she turned to see Hallie following her.

Gabby stopped. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I just wanted to say thank you," Hallie told her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the other night I was just so worried…"

"It's okay," Gabby forced a smile. "You had a lot on your mind."

Hallie nodded. "Well, anyway, just thank you. You saved him and I will always be grateful."

She went in for a hug and Gabby responded uncomfortably. "Just doing our jobs."

"Well you're the best. Tell Shay I said so okay?"

"Will do. I gotta run."

"Of course. Have a good day!"

"Thanks, you too!"

Hallie returned to her fireman's room. "I have good news and I have bad news."

"Bad news first," Casey told her. "Always bad news first."

"No working for three weeks."

He opened his mouth to respond but she silenced him by putting a finger to his lips. "The good news is you can go home tomorrow so long as you continue to receive care."

"Oh really?" Casey raised his eyebrows as Hallie joined him on the bed. "Do you know of anyone who might volunteer to provide such care?"

Hallie smiled. "I think I can come up with someone." She kissed him. "Feeling better?"

Casey grinned. "Definitely."

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><p>AN: Final reviews are always welcome!


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